Shell.



No. 687,6 Patented Nov. 26, 190i.

C. DAVIS.

S H E L L.

lication filed. Mar.

(N0 Mpdel.)

NITED STATE/8..

PATENT OF CE.

. CLELAND DAVIS, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,611, dated November 26, 1901.

Application filed March 29, 1901. Serial No. 63,498. (No model.) I

ant United States Navy, stationed at Wash- 'ington, in the District of Columbia, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Shells; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved form of explosive shell designed to give a maximum strength or perforating power consistent with amaximum capacity for an explosive charge.

In order to properly explain the character of this invention, it will be desirable to state briefly the action of projectiles on impact against face-hardened armor-plate.

When the point of the projectile meets the hard elastic face .of the armor-plate, there is an elastic dishing of the hardsurfaoe layer, so that the stress of impact is transmitted to the tough back,aud the resistance of the whole area of depression is concentrated to oppose the advance of the projectile. The elfect is to stop the projectile or materially reduce its v velocity in a short space, and thus cause it to expend its energy on itself and break up along its weakest lines. Now the logical form of projectile, so far as power of perforation goes, is the solid shot; but the destructive eifect of explosive shell is such that conditions demand I a projectile thatwill carnyganexpfiive charge even at the sacrifice of perforating power. Ihave observed in a large number of experiments against armor-plate with the present form of projectile that the projectile breaks up by first upsetting or bulging in the region of the bourrelet, then giving away along longitudinal lines or in ribbon-like strips evenly distributed around the circumference of the bourrelet. Disruption along transverse lines then occurs, and the tendency to rupture is enhanced by the rotation of the" projectile. Thus. when the point of the projectile enters a plate the head is held fast, while the tendency of the body to continue to rotate often causes it to break in rear of the apex of the powder-cavity. From all this it would appear that the increase of the mass of metal in the walls of the shell causes thenpsetting "or-bul ing before described. w the velocity of the shell is materially reduced in a short space.

' The herein described improvement consists, primarily, in so designing the interior or cavity of the projectile that its capacity for a bursting charge is increased, and at the same time the perforating power is increased byconcentrating the weight in the line of attack. In other words, the moment, and,

consequently the shearing tendency, of the metal in the walls of the shell is greatlyreduced, and, furthermore, greater strength is given to resist the tendency of the rear end of the shell to twist off due to the rotary course when the head of the shell is embedded in the plate.

The herein-described improvement is of especial advantage in cast-steel explosive shell where a bursting charge of black powder is used and in forged-steel shell with ahigh-explosive charge or with a powder or oth er explosive that develops a great pressure for a relatively sinall charge, such as picric acid and its derivatives. My invention will be understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which the sani e'parts are indicated by the same letters throughout both views.-

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of ,the shell'along the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, the

fuse being shown in elevation.' Fig. 2 repre-' sents a transverse section of the shell along the line 2 2 of Fig.2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In both the views the explosive charge is Y omitted.

A represents the the band, which is secured on the shell near the base in the usual way.

shell, B the fuse, and c 2 The hollow portion of the shell consists of 1 a large chamber D, terminating in the 'front half of the shell in a plurality of longitudinal chambers D, which are separated from each other by the central portion A and the webs A connecting said central portion to the main bodypf the shell.

The interior of the projectile is as free as possible from angles, the various connecting surfaces being curved, as shown at a, a and a In practice the chamber D and the lonplosive charge.

,gitudinalchamber D are filled with the ex- It is my purpose to 'case the shell about a suitable core or cores and to machine-finish it in the usual way, or the same may be forged, if preferred.

By this construction of shell it will be seen that the front half of the shell, where the greatest strength is required, is made very rigid and strong, and thus gives greatly-increased strength for penetration, and consequently greater perforating power. Moreover, the weight may be distributed more in the front halt of theshell, causing it to fly truer, on the same principle that weighted arrow-heads areused. Moreover, by having this construction thinner walls can be used and the capacity of the powder-chamber is increased for the same strength of the metal of the' shell. Again, I believe that a better quality of manufacture due to the form of the shell may be secured and that this form of shell will cause it to breakup into a larger number of pieces when exploded.

The special advantages claimed for this form of shell are increased perforating, power for thelgsai'ne weight of shell; increased capacity of thecavity, and consequently a 'largerbursting charge; combined wit h great er strength or perforating power, improvement in the quality due to its form, which makes it more susceptible to treatmentfrom a metal- I lur ical oint of view and im rovement as regards disruption upon the ignition or detonation of the bursting charge, whereby the shell will break up in a relatively greater number of pieces.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A shell provided with a powder-chamber in the central portion of the rear part of the shell-body, which chamber is divided near the front end of the shell by an axial mass of metal connected to the shell-body by radial webs, substantially as described.

2. A shell provided with a cavity therein for the bursting charge, the front part of said cavity being partly taken up with an axial m'ass of metal connected by radial webs to the shell-body, the said-webs being symmetrically disposed about the axis of the shell, substantially as described. v

A shell provided with a cavity therein for the bursting charge, the front part of said cavity being partly taken up with an axial mass of metal connected by radial Webs to the shell-body, the said webs being symmetrically disposed about the axis of the shell, and the various surfaces being curved as shown, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiir; my signature in presence of two witnesses CLELAND DAVIS.

W'itnesses:

F. H. PAINE, ll/IONTGOMERY BLAIR. 

